


water drops

by BuddysImpala



Category: The Greatest Showman (2017)
Genre: I do hope dear Phillip enjoys, M/M, Phin is a total tease, Phineas is very pretty and Phillip can’t stop staring, Spring, a little prompt for our dear AskCarlyle, as per usual, barlyle - Freeform, basically sums it up, but... lack clothes apparently, definitely warrants an M rating though so just a heads up!, kinda borderline lowkey smut but like... also not, springtime, the boys go swimming, yup
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-28
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2020-02-09 10:51:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18636670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BuddysImpala/pseuds/BuddysImpala
Summary: Phineas likes to go swimming in the springtime.Finally, Phillip joins him.(for askcarlyle on Tumblr!)





	water drops

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Schizanthus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Schizanthus/gifts).



> This prompt was given to me by our very own playwright, so I do hope Phillip approves 👀

Springtime was, arguably, Phillip’s favorite time of the year. Gone was the chill of winter, the shorter days, the cold loneliness. Instead, rays of sunlight warmed New York’s rolling fields, the sky remained a crystal blue more than twelve hours of the day, and flowers bloomed.

And, Phillip thought, smiling to himself, springtime also brought along one of his most favorite hobbies — watching Phineas swim in the wonderfully cool harbor, just visible from the back of one of the tents. He would go for a dip before or after a show — or both, weather and time depending — in a section of the harbor just private enough that nobody would see him. Unless, of course, they knew of just the right angle to watch from just the right tent.

Sometimes he would bathe nude, and sometimes not, depending on time and privacy. Though they never spoke during these private, intimate exchanges, Phillip knew that Phineas knew that he watched, smile on his lips and eyes dark with want as he peeked out from within the circus tent. Sometimes he would watch from outside, leaned against a tent post or a tree, but he was back in the tent before anybody missed him for too long.

To put it most simply, Phineas was beautiful. Sometimes he would scrub quickly, pressed for time, but more often than not he would float serenely on his back, eyes closed and warmth from the sun on his face. Droplets of water glimmered from the sun in his hair and on his chest, and Phillip followed every delectable drop as they trailed down the showman’s stomach, caressing his legs and hitting the water.

Phineas knew he was putting on a show. Every so often, he would lift his head and their eyes would meet, or he would wash with his back to Phillip, only to send a blindingly brilliant grin at him from over his shoulder. Phillip would watch, gulping, as Phineas’s hands ventured low below his belly, lazily stroking himself. This was his favorite position to be in — on his back, stroking himself lazy and slow, face to the sun knowing that Phillip watched his every move.

For all his want, though, Phillip never joined Phineas in the water. He admired Phineas’s ability to be liberated while out in the open, but he could not share the same confidence: the mere thought of it left his gut twisting in anxiety, his throat dry and eyes watery at the thought of being... caught, fully nude and alone, with Phineas Barnum.

Perhaps that was why they never spoke during these times. Despite how much Phillip loved to watch Phineas, he was too embarrassed to voice his fear, and so they never spoke of it, and often went on about their days as if nothing had happened.

Until one twilight, warm breeze ruffling Phillip’s hair and the sun setting low, lighting the sky with pinks and purples, when Phineas stood up in the water and said, “Come join me.”

Phillip stared at Phineas from his usual position, lips parted in shock but no words coming out.

“The performers are gone, nobody’s around for miles,” Phineas said, voice low and soothing. He offered a hand out, as if reaching for Phillip back on the solid ground, and repeated himself, “Come join me.”

Birds chirped in the purple sky, as if affirming the fact that there was nobody around for miles, but still Phillip hesitated. “But what if—“

For all his bravado, Phineas’s smile was small and sweet and understanding as he spread his arms out wide. “Nobody will see, I promise. Trust me?”

Phillip gulped, but, staring into Phineas’s whiskey-colored eyes, he slowly nodded his head. Phineas beamed as Phillip stepped forward, slowly unbuttoning his uniform. His fingers trembled, but he didn’t take his eyes off of Phineas.

Underwear was a last minute hesitance, the last barrier between himself and nature’s elements, but in the end he removed those, too, and folded them neatly with the rest of his clothes. Phineas chuckled and Phillip’s face flamed red, but he decided he didn’t care — he’d rather not deal with wet undergarments.

Phineas was there to greet him as he stepped into the water, gasping at the chill as it shot up his leg. But, as he got used to it, he realized that it was actually warmer than he’d thought before — and Phineas’s arms, the warm press of the elder’s chest against his own, helped warm things up quite nicely, too.

“See?” Phineas hummed, dipping his head to kiss his neck and nip at his shoulder, “It’s not so bad.”

Phillip responded with a wordless hum, tangling his fingers in Phineas’s wet curls and pulling him closer for a kiss. Phineas kissed back, hot and eager, as he hoisted Phillip up so the younger could wrap his legs around his waist. The press of the ringmaster’s swiftly hardening cock against his thigh made Phillip sigh and attempt to press himself impossibly closer. Phineas’s chest rumbled against his own as he chuckled.

“God, Phillip,” the ringmaster breathed, nipping at the younger’s ear, “you’re beautiful.”

As Phineas mumbled into his ear, Phillip’s body jolted, suddenly hyper alert, as one of the ringmaster’s hands slid down to grip his ass, then teasingly press a finger to Phillip’s hole. Phillip whined, pressing his face into Phineas’s neck, as Phineas teasingly traced around him, making him jerk... and swiftly pulling away.

“Phin!” Phillip whined. There was a rasp to his voice that wasn’t there before, and Phineas smirked as he brought Phillip in for another kiss.

“I’m sorry, darling, but we’ve got nothing to properly prepare you, here,” Phineas mumbled against his lips.

With a groan, Phillip realized that he was, for once, right. He’d made that mistake once, years before he ever met Phineas, and he shuddered as painful memories courses through his brain.

The water around them, which had been fairly warm just moments before, was suddenly ice cold after the heat of arousal that’d coursed through his body, and Phillip shivered as he started to climb down, off of Phineas. But — to his surprise — Phineas held tight.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he teased.

“Phin, we can’t—“

“I’ve got a new bottle of oil hidden in a drawer in my office.”

Phillip pulled back, eyes wide, as Phineas grinned and carried him out of the water. Their lips met again in a messy kiss, and Phillip moaned as he thought of the events to come... they were totally alone on the circus grounds.

He decided then and there, as Phineas grabbed two towels but refused to let him go, that he just may have to join Phineas for his springtime swims _much_ more often.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this spontaneously in about an hour so hopefully it wasn’t too terrible? Comments are very much appreciated!


End file.
